Buddha’s
LumbiniSome
dictionaries and search engines these days have come up with different
information on Lumbini and Lord Buddha but there is only one fact
which will always remain the same that Lumbini that lies in Nepal
is the birthplace of the Apostle of Peace – Buddha and this
fact stands as a great pride to Nepal and the Nepalese.

Lord Gautam Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha
Gautam to Shakya King Suddhodana and Queen Maya Devi in Lumbini
in May sometime in 600BC but there is still a big debate on the
actual year of Buddha’s birth.

Prince Siddhartha lived a lavish and protected
lifestyle unknown of poverty, illness, death and misery that lurked
outside the palace. When the Prince was 16, he was married to Princess
Yasodhara and they had a son Rahul.

One fine day, when the Prince went out of the
palace on his chariot he saw an old man, a sick person, a dead body
and a monk for the first time in his life. These sights made him
realize the bitter truth of human life that one day he will also
become an old man with various diseases and finally to his death
bed. This reality highly disturbed him and he began to loathe the
world and desperately desired to discover the truth and decided
to choose the path of the monk to attain enlightenment.

At
the age of 29, the Prince abandoned his palace and his family in
the quest of truth and enlightenment and after six years of practicing
all forms of austerity, he finally attained Nirvana while meditating
under a tree in Bodh Gaya, India and he understood the meaning of
life in the deepest way.

After enlightenment he traveled to various parts
of India, especially the northern part teaching and explaining the
way to full enlightenment for the sake of others and led his numerous
disciples towards attaining enlightenment who also taught others
to walk in this path. After 45 years of preaching the noble truths
he passed away at the age of 80.

Lord Buddha never claimed himself to be a God
but Hindus have regarded him to be the 9th incarnation of Lord Bishnu
who taught mankind the world of non violence with no castes and
races and no sacrifice of animals. It was Buddha who established
a new religion – Buddhism which flourished in Asia and then
gradually got popular in other surrounding countries. Buddhism is
about attaining permanent liberation from the worldly sufferings
with the lasting peace and happiness.

Lumbini, the Mecca of peace has become one of
the most popular and holiest pilgrimage sites in the world. The
only UNESCO cultural heritage site outside Kathmandu Valley, Lumbini
has many beautiful shrines built with the help of the devotees from
various countries, mostly the Buddhists. The main attraction in
Lumbini is the sacred garden with Maya Devi temple depicting the
birth of Lord Buddha, the Tank where Maya Devi is supposed to have
taken a bath before the baby was born and the Ashokan pillar pointing
Buddha’s birthplace and other holy sites all around the place.

A visit to sacred Lumbini definitely ensures a
peace of mind and the principles of Buddha and PEACE is what our
world needs today more than anything else. A symbol of unity in
diversity, Lumbini is regarded as the fountain of world peace.

In honor of Lord Buddha – the light of Asia,
Buddha Jayanti or the birth anniversary of Buddha is celebrated
in Nepal every year during May. All the devotees throng to the Buddhist
stupas, especially Swayambhunath and Boudhanath in Kathmandu and
pay homage to Lord Buddha. People also travel to Lumbini for special
worship on this very day by chanting prayers and burning butter
lamps.